LOS ANGELES — Steve Soboroff, a well-known figure in Los Angeles community affairs and currently the chief recovery officer for the city’s efforts to recover from a recent wildfire, has decided to forgo a proposed salary of $500,000 amid criticism regarding his compensation. Initially, the funds for his salary were to come from charitable donations rather than taxpayer resources.
Soboroff had justified the hefty salary for his three-month contract, citing his extensive experience as a residential property developer. However, following a wave of disapproval from both local officials and residents, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass changed her stance over the weekend, announcing that Soboroff would work without pay.
“Steve is always there for LA. I spoke to him today and asked him to modify his agreement and work for free. He said yes. We agree that we don’t need anything distracting from the recovery work we’re doing,” Bass stated on Saturday after appointing him to the recovery position on January 17.
On Monday, attempts were made to contact Soboroff for his thoughts on the matter. At 76 years old, he has deep roots in the Pacific Palisades, an area that suffered severe damage with nearly 7,000 homes lost in last month’s fire. His son, Jacob Soboroff, a journalist with NBC News, reported from the impacted neighborhood where their family has longstanding ties.
Initially assigned to lead the first phase of the city’s wildfire recovery strategy, Soboroff is now said to focus primarily on rebuilding the Palisades’ historic business area, following remarks from Mayor Bass suggesting a narrowing of his responsibilities. Soboroff, however, refuted this claim, asserting that he maintains regular communication with federal agencies involved in the recovery process.
In addition to having developed thousands of homes over the years, Soboroff has volunteered on the city’s Board of Police Commissioners and served on the commission overseeing the Department of Recreation and Parks. Before the reversal regarding his salary, he had communicated with the Los Angeles Times, stating that he had paused other consulting opportunities to take on the recovery officer role.
“I’ve been doing this for 35 years for free on some of the biggest civic projects for the city of Los Angeles. But nobody ever asked me to drop everything. This time they did,” Soboroff remarked, mentioning that he agreed to take the position on the condition that his compensation would not impact city funds or the survivors of the wildfire.
The origin of the charitable donations intended to fund his salary remains unclear. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, who is part of the oversight committee for the recovery efforts, publicly condemned the proposed salary as “obscene.” The original reporting about Soboroff’s salary emerged from the Times.
